U.S. Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act

December 7, 2016

By CSG Justice Center Staff

Following approval by the U.S. House last week, the U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act (#CuresNow) in a bipartisan vote of 94-5 today. The $6 billion public health and medical research bill, which will now head to President Obama, is an umbrella for a variety of health initiatives, from authorizing money to combat the nation’s opioid crisis to funding the “moonshot” project to cure cancer.

Included in the omnibus bill’s range of initiatives are several criminal justice reform measures related to the issue of mental health, including the enactment of the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act (CJMHA) and the reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA). The bill is a milestone in the fight to address mental illness and substance use disorders in the criminal justice system. Many local governments are already making progress, with hundreds of counties across the nation joining the Stepping Up initiative and committing to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. Read More

According to statistics, approximately one in 17 Americans, or 6 percent of the population, live with a mental illness. Further, in any given year, about one in four Americans, equaling 57.7 million people, experience a mental health issue.1 Many people are diagnosed with these conditions; however, those with more serious mental illnesses (SMI) sometimes command the attention of law enforcement. An SMI constitutes a behavioral or emotional disorder, diagnosable within the past year, resulting in serious functional impairment.2

Sergeant Jines serves as a patrol division shift supervisor and Crisis Intervention Team trainer with the Jackson, Tennessee, Police Department.

Due to the extreme behavior exhibited by individuals with SMI, encounters with police during a crisis sometimes end in tragedy. As a best practice, the implementation of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) plays an important role in responding to these situations. The concept of these teams has existed for over 25 years. Known as the Memphis Model, from its origin with the Memphis (Tennessee) Police Department, it successfully has been established in several jurisdictions. Read more

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CIT International aspires to be a leader in promoting safe and humane responses

to those experiencing a mental health crisis

OUR MISSION

Promote community collaboration using the CIT Program to assist people living with